"Come On Eileen"
Single by Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express
from the album Too-Rye-Ay
B-side(s)	Dubious
Released	1982
Genre	Pop
Length	3:28
Label	Mercury Records
Writer(s)	Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, Billy Adams
Producer(s)	Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express singles chronology
"The Celtic Soul Brothers" (1982) "Come On Eileen" (1982) "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" (1982)

"Come On Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners was the biggest-selling British single of 1989. The song was written by Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It originally appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Too-Rye-Ay (1982) Dexys Midnight Runners – the name consistently spelled without an apostrophe [1] – were a British New Wave and Northern Soul band, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. ... Too-Rye-Ay is the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in August, 1982 (see 1982 in music). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Kevin Rowland in the music video of Come on Eileen. Kevin Rowland (born August 17, 1953, in Wolverhampton, England) is a singer, songwriter and former frontman of Dexys Midnight Runners. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Too-Rye-Ay (1982) Dexys Midnight Runners – the name consistently spelled without an apostrophe [1] – were a British New Wave and Northern Soul band, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. ... Too-Rye-Ay (1982) Dexys Midnight Runners – the name consistently spelled without an apostrophe [1] – were a British New Wave and Northern Soul band, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Kevin Rowland in the music video of Come on Eileen. Kevin Rowland (born August 17, 1953, in Wolverhampton, England) is a singer, songwriter and former frontman of Dexys Midnight Runners. ... Too-Rye-Ay is the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in August, 1982 (see 1982 in music). ...

Composition and video

The song begins with Celtic-style fiddle played over a drum beat, with the bass guitar and piano providing accompaniment. An extended version has an additional intro of a Celtic fiddle solo, playing the Irish song "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms", by Matthew Locke. Celtic music is a term utilized by record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe. ...

The chorus was loosely inspired by the song "A Man Like Me" by the 1960s British soul group Jimmy James and the Vagabonds.[1]

The bridge of "Come On Eileen" features an improvised counter-melody which begins in a slow tempo and gets faster and faster over an accelerando vocal backing. The chord sequence of the bridge is actually the same as the verses but transposed up by a whole tone. In popular music, especially occidental, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section. ... In music, counter-melody (often one word, countermelody) is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent melody. ... The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata XI, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and a modern editors metronome marking: = 120. “Andante” redirects here. ... The musical interval of a major second — also called a whole-tone — is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the second note in a major scale (and also a minor scale). ...

Throughout the song, there are numerous tempo changes and key changes:

Kevin Rowland in the music video of "Come On Eileen".

The music video to accompany the single features members of the band wearing sleeveless shirts and overalls. The video has been referred to as "a tribute to the armpit". Also see: F minor, or F-sharp minor. ... A one octave music scale in C major. ... Also see: D minor, or D-flat major. ... Also see: D minor, or D-flat major. ... Image File history File links Come_On_Eileen_Music_Video. ... Image File history File links Come_On_Eileen_Music_Video. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ...

Chart success

In the British charts, the song spent four weeks at number one in August 1982. This success was repeated around the globe; spending five weeks as the Kent Report's number one in Australia and reaching number one in April 1983 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It is a common example of a one-hit wonder in the U.S., as the band failed to reach similar popularity with any of their future songs, though in the UK they had already reached number one two years earlier with "Geno", and went on to have further hits. The following lists the number one singles on the Australian Singles Chart, along with other substantial hits, during the 1980s. ... These are the #1 Hits of 1983: Kenny Rogers Islands In The Stream with Dolly Parton was the last country song to hit #1 on the Hot 100 until Lonestars Amazed in 2000, a 17-year run without a country song hitting #1 on the chart! See also: List... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... UK 45 rpm single for Mickey (1982) by one-hit wonder Toni Basil CD single of the Baha Mens Who Let the Dogs Out? In the music industry, a one-hit wonder is an artist generally known for only one hit single. ...

In a poll by the UK TV Channel, Channel 4, the song was placed at number 38 in the 100 greatest number 1 singles of all time.[2] A similar poll by the music channel VH1 placed the song at number 3 in the 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders of all time.[3]

Cover versions

The song has since been covered by artists including Save Ferris (often confused with No Doubt or Reel Big Fish), Skyclad, Nouvelle Vague, the Atlantic Canadian band Kilt, Blackthorn, the Japanese band nil, and Badly Drawn Boy. In June 2004 in the UK, the tune was used for the song "Come on England", by a group of football fans calling themselves "4-4-2". The song was intended to support the England football team during the Euro 2004 competition. In 2006, a cover version by Hermes House Band was released as a single in France. Save Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California. ... No Doubt is a third wave ska band from Anaheim, California, United States. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The lineup at the time of the Folkémon album. ... Nouvelle Vague (French for new wave AND (Portuguese for bossa nova) is a bossa nova group initiated by French musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Come on England is a music single by the band 4-4-2. ... The Hermes House Band (HHB) is an in 1982 established band of the student society Hermes in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ...

Trivia

• 'Eileen' as featured in the video and on the record sleeve is Marie Fahey, sister of Siobhan Fahey, former singer with Bananarama and Shakespear's Sister. The American singer Johnnie Ray, an early rock-and-roll crooner, is also featured in the video and mentioned in the opening lyrics.

• Shelton (the drummer) was fired from the band during the filming of the "Come On Eileen" video. Rowland ordered his bandmates not to do any bathing of any kind or shaving of any kind. Shelton did not follow the orders and Rowland fired him. That is the reason he is missing at the end of the video.

• The AFL Footy Show showed the music video of "Come on Eileen" in the 'Sam's Mailbag' part of the show as Kevin Rowland was a look-a-like to co-host Garry Lyon. After the music video was performed, another video was shown with hosts Garry Lyon (as Kevin Rowland), James Brayshaw (as Banjo player), Sam Newman (as Violin player) and Trevor Marmalade (as Accordion player) performing a copy of the original video as themselves.

• This song is also rumored to be a reference to methamphetamine.

• The song features in the film Rainbow Warrior.

• The title of the song, was mentioned in an episode of Will & Grace. Grace asked Will to help her with something, but he didn't respond. There for, she yelled "Come on Eileen!!" after him.

• The song was used as the Space Shuttle Discovery crew wake-up call in August 2005, on STS-114 Flight Day 14, in honour of the flight commander, Eileen Collins. The ground control team selected the song to remind the crew "that it is time for your return back home to planet Earth" (a return which turned out to be delayed by a day due to weather).

• The web-based clothing company T-Shirt Hell released a shirt with the phrase "I came on Eileen". The shirt is a double entendre.

• A common misconception is that The Cure or The Clash has covered and/or written the song. They have in fact done no such thing.

• The phrase "Come On Eileen" is used as the refrain in the song "Me and my Black Metal Friends" by Atom And His Package.

• The song's title was parodied in Clerks as a porno film titled "Cum On Eileen". There is also a real porn site with this title.

• The song was used briefly in the hit British cult sitcom Spaced starring (among others) Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who went on to make the film Shaun of the Dead.

• This song is one of the '80s tunes that can be heard in the arcade game compilation Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection, for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC.

• In The Simpson's Episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" Lisa remarks that Homer's barbershop quartet, the Be Sharps, beat Dexys Midnight Runners for a Grammy Award to which Homer replies, "Well, you haven't heard the last of them." This is an ironic reference to Dexys Midnight Runners' one hit wonder status in the US.

• There is a reference to "Come on Eileen" in an episode of the popular american sitcom "American Dad"

Siobhan Fahey (born Siobhan Máire Deirdre Fahey on September 10, 1958) was a founding member of the 1980s British girl group Bananarama, and later founded the musical outfit Shakespears Sister. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Fahey and Detroit on the cover of the Hormonally Yours album Shakespears Sister (sometimes written with the apostrophe) was a band consisting of Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit. ... Johnnie Ray from the trailer for one of his few films, Theres No Business Like Show Business (1954) John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927–February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. ... The Footy Show is an Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates. ... Garry Lyon Garry Lyon (born September 13, 1967) is a former captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... Garry Lyon Garry Lyon (born September 13, 1967) is a former captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... James Brayshaw - JB James Antony Brayshaw (born May 11, 1967 in Subiaco, Western Australia) is a former state cricketer and now Australian television and radio personality. ... John Noel William Sam Newman (born December 22, 1945 in Geelong, Victoria) is a retired Australian rules football player for the Geelong Cats and is now a local celebrity, television personality and part-time specialist ruck coach. ... Trevor Marmalade is the stage name of a comedian from Melbourne, Australia. ... This article is about the psychostimulant, d-methamphetamine. ... Rainbow Warrior is the name of a series of ships operated by Greenpeace. ... Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award winning and Golden Globe nominated American television sitcom that was originally broadcast from 1998 to 2006. ... Space Shuttle Discovery (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of three remaining spacecraft in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with Atlantis and Endeavour. ... STS-114 was the first return to flight Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. ... Eileen Marie Collins (b. ... T-Shirt Hell is an online website that sells provocative t-shirts. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Cure are an English rock band that formed in Crawley, Sussex in 1976. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Adam Goren is a musician, better known as the sole member of the punk band Atom and His Package. ... This article is about the film. ... Spaced is a British television situation comedy written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. ... Simon John Pegg (born 14 February 1970 in Gloucester) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and film and television actor. ... Nicholas John Frost (born March 28, 1972 in Romford) is an English actor and comedian famous for his work with Simon Pegg. ... Shaun of the Dead is a zombie-themed romantic comedy (or rom zom com as it dubs itself) or zombie comedy released in 2004. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... A compilation is a release consisting of more than one computer, arcade, or video game. ... Namco Museum refers to the series of compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s. ... PS2 can mean: PlayStation 2 (Sony PS2), sixth-generation video game console PS/2 (IBM Personal System/2 office PCs, or the interface standard for mice and keyboards that the PS/2 series set) Phantasy Star II, second in the Phantasy Star seiries of video games. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... The Nintendo GameCube , GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Homers Barbershop Quartet is the first episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Musicians (band members)

• Kevin Rowland — vocals
• Billy Adams — banjo and backing vocals
• Giorgio Kilkenny — bass and backing vocals
• Seb Shelton — drums and backing vocals
• Micky Billingham — piano, accordion, and backing vocals
• Helen O'Hara — fiddle
• Steve Brennan — fiddle
• Roger MacDuff — fiddle
• "Big" Jim Paterson — trombone
• Paul Speare — tenor saxophone
• Brian Maurice — alto saxophone